December 2008

[El Gordo]

Malbec is one of those grapes that seems to work in Argentina. It's widely grown in southern France but used largely as a filler to bulk out and soften Cabernet and Merlot. In Argentina, it seems to shine on its own merits. Not that I've tried many, but the reports are always good. I really must get to South America. Those steaks always get top reviews as well. We've been talking about what to do post-Boston next year. At the moment it's a toss-up between California and South America. Would love to opt for SA but I suspect it deserves more time than we'll have.

That shanty town looks like it's made for very fast running...

Re the gym -- well it's working for me but as discussed, I have a very convenient (and usually empty) one, which helps a lot. I look forward to going now as a respite from the roads. Not sure if a man of the hills like you would ever feel comfortable in a gym, but the benefits are there alright, if you can deal with the different culture. Whatever I might currently think about music while running, an MP3 player is 100% vital in the gym. I couldn't bear all that disco-throb, which seems to be the alternative.